Title: Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland

Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

A Subset of the International Classification of Ecological
Communities: Terrestrial Vegetation of the United States
March 2004

V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.B.2.N.d. Temporarily flooded temperate perennial forb vegetation
V.B.2.N.d.2. JUSTICIA AMERICANA TEMPORARILY FLOODED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Common Water-willow Temporarily Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

Concept: This alliance covers rocky river shoals dominated by Justicia americana with Orontium aquaticum, Podostemum ceratophyllum, Leersia spp., Lemna minor, Saururus cernuus, and others. A sparse canopy may be present, and species may include Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Fagus grandifolia, and Fraxinus pennsylvanica. There is some apparent regional variation in the associated species. More Appalachian examples may contain Orontium aquaticum as a codominant. In parts of the Ridge and Valley and Piedmont, Hymenocallis caroliniana (= Hymenocallis coronaria) is codominant. In the Edwards Plateau of central Texas, associated with Justicia americana are Bacopa monnieri, Fuirena simplex, Eleocharis geniculata (= Eleocharis caribaea), Eleocharis montevidensis, and Cyperus spp.

Range: This alliance is distributed in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, Ozark Highlands, Boston Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, Interior Low Plateau, Cumberland Plateau, Piedmont, and Arkansas Valley. It is found in Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and possibly Virginia (?).

States/Provinces: AL AR DE GA KY MD? NC OH OK PA SC TN TX VA? WV

TNC Ecoregions: 29:C, 38:C, 39:C, 43:C, 44:C, 45:C, 48:C, 49:C, 50:C, 51:C, 52:C, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCP, 212Fb:CCC, 212Ga:CCP, 212Gb:CCP, 221Am:CCP, 221Ba:CCC, 221Bd:CCC, 221Da:CCC, 221Db:CCC, 221Ec:CCC, 221Ed:CCP, 221Ef:CCP, 221Ha:CCC, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CCC, 221He:CCC, 222Ab:CCC, 222Ag:CCC, 222Ah:CCC, 222An:CCC, 222Eb:CCC, 222Eg:CCC, 222Ej:CCP, 222En:CCC, 222Eo:CCC, 222Ha:CCC, 231Af:CCC, 231B:CC, 231Cd:CCC, 231Dc:CCC, 231Ga:CCC, 231Gb:CCC, 231Gc:CCC, 315D:CC, 321B:PP, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Bb:CCC, M221Bd:CCC, M221Be:CCC, M221Bf:CCC, M221Cd:CCC, M221Da:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M222Aa:CCC, M222Ab:CCC, M231Aa:CCC, M231Ab:CCC, M231Ac:CCC, M231Ad:CCC

Federal Lands: NPS (Natchez Trace, Stones River); USFS (Bankhead, Cherokee, Daniel Boone, Oconee?, Ouachita, Ozark, Pisgah, Sumter, Uwharrie); USFWS (Cahaba River)

Synonymy: IIE3a. Riverside Shoal and Stream Bar Complex, in part (Allard 1990); Rocky Bar and Shore, in part (Schafale and Weakley 1990); Justicia americana herbaceous alliance (Hoagland 2000); Shoal and Stream Bar, in part (Nelson 1986); Water-willow (Justicia americana) - smart-weed riverbed community (Fike 1999)

References: Allard 1990, Faber-Langendoen et al. 1996, Fike 1999, Foti et al. 1994, Hoagland 2000, Nelson 1986, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Schmalzer and DeSelm 1982

Authors: A.S. WEAKLEY, MP, Southeast Identifier: A.1657

JUSTICIA AMERICANA HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
Common Water-willow Herbaceous Vegetation
Water-willow Rocky Bar and Shore                                               G4G5 (97-09-12)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS):                     Rocky Riverbeds (457-30; 2.2.3.1)

Concept: This association is found primarily in the Piedmont, Cumberland Plateau, Interior Low Plateau, Ozarks, Ouachita Mountains, and adjacent provinces. Stands occur on the shoals or bars of rocky streams and riverbeds. It provides habitat in some portions of its range for globally rare dragonflies and herbs. Justicia americana is the characteristic dominant. Other herbaceous species that may be present include Diodia teres, Gratiola brevifolia, Leersia sp., Lemna minor, Orontium aquaticum, Podostemum ceratophyllum, Scirpus sp., Saururus cernuus, and Xyris difformis var. difformis. A sparse canopy layer, which can include Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Salix interior, Fagus grandifolia, and Fraxinus pennsylvanica among other species, may be present.

Comments: This type, in Ohio, often forms pure patches, but consistent identification may require a simple cutoff rule, such as at least 50% cover of Justicia (Anderson 1982). However, Anderson (1996) no longer recognizes this type.

Range: This type is found primarily in the Piedmont, Interior Low Plateau, Cumberland Plateau, Ozarks, Ouachita Mountains, and adjacent provinces. It ranges from Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas west to Arkansas and Oklahoma and north to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

States/Provinces: AL:S?, AR:S?, DE:S?, GA:S?, KY:S?, MD?, NC:S5, OH:S4, OK:S?, PA:S?, SC?, TN:S?, VA?, WV:S?

TNC Ecoregions: 38:C, 39:C, 43:C, 44:C, 45:C, 48:C, 49:C, 50:C, 51:C, 52:C, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCP, 212Fb:CCC, 212Ga:CCP, 212Gb:CCP, 221Am:CCP, 221Ba:CCC, 221Bd:CCC, 221Da:CCC, 221Db:CCC, 221Ec:CCC, 221Ed:CCP, 221Ef:CCP, 221Ha:CCC, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CCC, 221He:CCC, 222Eb:CCC, 222Ej:CCP, 222En:CCC, 222Eo:CCC, 222Ha:CCC, 231Af:CCC, 231B:CC, 231Cd:CCC, 231D:CC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Bb:CCC, M221Bd:CCC, M221Be:CCC, M221Bf:CCC, M221Cd:CCC, M221Da:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M222A:CC, M231A:CC

Federal Lands: NPS (Natchez Trace, Stones River); USFS (Bankhead, Cherokee, Daniel Boone, Oconee?, Ouachita, Ozark, Pisgah, Sumter?, Uwharrie)

Synonymy: IIE3a. Riverside Shoal and Stream Bar Complex (Allard 1990) B. in part, Aquatic Types (Schmalzer and DeSelm 1982) B. in part, Rocky Bar and Shore (Water Willow Subtype) (Schafale 1998b), Water-willow Aquatic Bed. [common name]

References: Allard 1990, Anderson 1982, Anderson 1996, Fike 1999, Fleming et al. 2001, Hoagland 1997, Hoagland 2000, Major et al. 1999, McCoy 1958, Nelson 1986, Palmer-Ball et al. 1988, Peet et al. 2002, Penfound 1953, Schafale 1998b, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Schmalzer and DeSelm 1982

Authors: A.S. Weakley, mod. D. Faber-Langendoen, SCS Confidence: 2 Identifier: CEGL004286 

- Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report V.B. Perennial forb vegetation
Return to Table of Contents

View Next Topic

This Page Up-dated on April 27, 2010